Memes are ideas, behaviour, style, or usage that are spread within a culture. They can be an amusing or interesting genre of items or items such as a video or picture that are widely spread especially on social media.

There doesn't seem to be a pattern of success with making memes. Some go viral while others remain popular among groups. 

Either way, their popularity has led some people to consider monetising them. 

Getting started

Stay connected

Establish your social media presence and keep up with social platforms. Secure a unique name and handle on each handle and find out which are most suitable. Some platforms may fizzle out but you only need about two successful ones to get your name out there.

Keep up with trends

The next order of business is to keep up with trends as they will be the lifeline of your memes. You will need to capitalise on trends in politics, tech, celebrity buzz, and other events to reach a bigger audience where your memes have more potential to go viral. Stay updated on the popular meme formats or templates.

Get your niche

Create memes around what you know and avoid creating content for everyone. Develop your own style and find humor in the things you relate to and the groups you engage with. Your niche may be around your work, hobby or interest, or even experiences.

Get free meme tools

Start with free tools like Canva. Most of these tools have already made templates you can edit and repurpose. You don't have to be a pro at Photoshop or any complicated tools.

You can always upgrade later but it is not something you should worry about.

How to start monetising your memes

Start monetizing

"It is possible to create a successful brand around memes. But, it will require hard work and a deep understanding of what makes things go viral. It is also essential to keep up with each platform's rules on ads to make sure you don't get your account suspended," says Denis Litvinov, CEO at Yepp.

Once you have your audience, you can start to transition to a brand. Memes are great creative outlets, but getting some money from them can be a great motivator to keep going.

Platform monetisation policies

You need to figure out the requirements of each platform to start monetising. Some are easy while others can get you in trouble.

Take TikTok for example. It has a long list of requirements for advertisers when it comes to branded content and advert partners. While creators may not be affected, violating these requirements can get your channel banned.

Getting deals

Once you have a clear understanding of the rules, you can start reaching out to advertisers, brands, and affiliate programs. These people may come to you if your page is popular enough, but it doesn't hurt to reach out to the ones you want to work with.

Make sure you have a working business email for people to get in touch easily.

Pros and cons of monetising memes

Pros

Creative outlet

Creating memes is a form of expression and making money doing so can provide a comfortable way to remain creative.

Fame and recognition

Making popular memes can open a door or window of opportunities for networking, and making money from them can make you recognised for your expertise.

Building revenue

Opportunities to build revenue include selling merchandise and of course, advertising. There are affiliate programs too and collaborating with brands.

Cons

"Regardless of your chosen field, it requires time, effort, and a willingness to learn. It's also important to remember that success rarely happens overnight. Expect to go for long periods at first before you see any real return on your efforts," Litvinov adds.

Trends

As for trends, memes can have a short lifespan, and monetising them in such a short time can be difficult. In the long run, trends are not a sustainable way to make money.

Copyright issues

Some memes are based on copyrighted content or images. Monetising them can lead to legal problems if you don't have permission.

Conclusion

Monetising memes can be a way of earning money and gaining recognition, however, it is important to know the legal issues that may rise and creative obstacles. It is also important to understand the sustainability of making money from memes.